The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1887-10-21
Carp On the Farm.
SETH GREEN.

In reply to several inquiries about
carp culture, the following condensed
directions are given.
To construct pond, first stake off
your land the desired dimensions then
take pillow and scraper, and with them
make the necessary excavation. The
pond should be about five or six feet
deep in the center, gradually sloping
up to the edges. The object in having
the pond deep in the center is to pre-
vide the fish with place to settle into
during the winter without danger of
the water freezing solid and thereby
killing them as would be the case in
cold climates if the water was all shall
low. The reason for having the bot
tenn sloping is, that thereby the fish
can have access to plenty of warm
shoa water, and also that in case the
old fish are not taken out after spawn
ing, the young fish will have the pro-
lection of the shallow water along the
edges, into which the larger fish cannot
swim if they should feel inclined to
make meal on some of their younger
relatives.
The outlet should be about three
feet wide, and so constructed that it
can be well screened to prevent the
fish from csc ping, and so as to admit
of the water being drawn off when it is
desired to remove the fish or to cleanse
the pond. The screens may be made
of wire netting, and painted with gas.
tar mixed with one.third turpentine, or
to the consistency Of paint, and ap-
piled with an ordinary paint brush.
The wire netting should be tackled to
strong wooden frames, made to fit the
space to be screened To screen a carp
pond effectually, three screens of diff.
ferent sized meshes should be used.
These should slide in a groved frame
work, so that they can be taken out
easily and cleaned. The coarser screen
should be placed first, or nearest to the
pond, so as to catch the principal part
of the drifting matter, and prevent the
clogging of the lower and finer screens.
About eighteen inches back of the
screens the outlet boards should be
placed, fitted to slide in a grove. They
should be about six inches wide each,
and made to fit closely, as it is by
these that the overflow is regulated 1t
is advisable to have the top boards
narrower than the lower ones, so that
the water may be raised or lowered to
any level desired. If galvanized wire
which is the best, although more ex-
pensive-is used for screens. they need
not be painted with gas.tar. For
pond containing large carp only, the
outlet screen may be made OF Stats
about three inches wide, with half
inch openings between the Stats. If a
leaf strikes against lats of this width,
it will pass between them without OBJ
struct;ng the flow of water, as it cannot
lap around them as it would do if the
stats were smaller. In all cases the
screen should extend nearly to the bot
tom of the pond, SO as to present as
great surface as possible.
Carp can be raised in we'll water, but
water from brook is preferable. They
will succeed in the Northern States if
the ponds are deep enough not to
freeze to the bottom in winter. Carp
do not require feeding in winter, as
they burrow into the mud or hibernate
until the ice disappears in the spring.
There appears to be difference of
opinion among the authorities as to
which is the best kind of carp. The
scale carp are said to be the most pro-
life, and the leather carp grow the
faster. For my part l prefer the lat
ter; it is the handsomer and finer fish
of the two. AS to their qualities as
table fish, so far as my experience goes,
l have not been able to discover any
difference between them-American
AgricuHurist.